The overall objective is to support theformulation of community agricultural policiesby developing an open and interactive networkof experts involved in agricultural policyanalysis.

It focuses on the New Member States (Cyprus,Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia), on theCandidate Countries (Bulgaria, Croatia,Romania and Turkey) and on the WesternBalkan Countries (Bosnia Herzegovina andSerbia).

Project acronym:

BAFN

Project full title:

BALKANAGROFOOD NETWORK

Project web site:

www.bafn.eu

The BAFN objectives will be achieved thanks to thecreation of a network of agrifood research groups,researchers and companies.

Researchers and research groups will be invited toregister their profile into an on-line and dynamicdatabase as well as the companies.

Networking will then be stimulated thanks to theinvolvement in national consultations and to thecommunication of relevant information forscientists and companies from the agricultural andfood sector.

The consortium gathers 13 organisations from 8 countries

Albania

Sustainable Economic Development Agency (SEDA)

Agricultural University of Tirana

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Faculty of Technology, University of Banja Luka

Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Bulgaria

University of Plovdiv

Europroject

France

Euroquality

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

University “St Kliment Ohridski”

SS Cyril and Methodius University, Institute of Agriculture-Skopje

Greece

Food Industrial Research and Technology Development Company(ETAT)

Hungary

GKI Economic Research Co

Serbia

Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade

•Dissemination plan

Promotion of the Western Balkan Countries competenciesand dissemination of information to the networkmembers and non-specialized audience through thepublication of:

The CROPWAT proposal is of special interestfor Serbia because its aim is to improve theefficiency of using existing water resources ina country faced with increasing problems ofagricultural droughts and health risks of usingcontaminated water for irrigation.

With such background it is essential toincrease the crop water use efficiency and toensure sufficient production of healthy food.CROPWAT expertise will help in achievementof both goals.

in the areas of Food Quality and Safetyand Food, Agriculture andBiotechnology

Specific Support Action

Project web site:www.food-n-co.net

Participation of INCO-countries International CooperationTargeted Countries (INCO) in Food, Agriculture andBiotechnology related research in the Sixth and Seventh EUFramework Programmes has, so far, been disappointing, despitea dedicated budget and the presence of highly skilled researchcommunities in those countries.

Organisations representing these countries as National ContactPoints, have indicated that this is mainly a result of lack ofinformation and lack of contacts.

FOOD-N-CO will improve the participation of INCO-countries bybuilding a strongnetwork of National Contact Points in bothEuropean and INCO-countries, by intensifying the relationshipsbetween European and INCO-countries and by supporting theresearch communities in INCO-countries with tailor-madeinformation and services.